Workouts You Can Do With Your Dog

Total Body Strength Training Workout

Steve Jordan, a personal trainer based in Los Angeles, suggests these three moves to work your legs, upper body, and core.

Plank/Sit: It may not sound like getting your dog to just sit without moving is a good workout, but getting dogs to focus and concentrate is actually super stimulating and exhausting for them. Get your dog to sit and stay, then get on the ground next to your dog and hold a plank position. See who breaks first — you or the dog. Rest for 30 seconds, then repeat three more times.

Walking Lunges: Find a space that’s at least 30 yards long and hold your dog’s leash in your right hand. Perform walking lunges, alternating legs and tapping your knee to ground each time, while getting dog to stay by your side. Perform 20 reps, rest one minute, and repeat for four sets (alternate which hand you hold the dog’s leash in for each set).

Dog Crawl: It’s typically called a bear crawl: Get on all fours so your hands and feet are the only thing touching the ground. Move around this way chasing your dog around the yard and see how long you can last without resting your knees on the ground (it’s harder than it sounds). This improves muscle coordination while working your core and upper body. Rest a minute and repeat two more times.

Water Workout

This is best done in a big body of water like a lake or a pond.

Swim and Stay: “Tell your dog to stay on the shore, then swim ahead for a minute,” says Rebecca Kordecki, owner of RK FIT and creator of Booty Slide. “Stop and call your dog to you, doing a doggy paddle until your dog reaches you. Once your dog reaches you, tell him to stay and swim ahead for a minute again. This time, tread water by scissoring your legs beneath you and pushing/pulling your hands forcefully through the water until your dog reaches you.” Repeat that series three to four times, then swim back to shore with your dog and rest for two minutes. If you and your dog are up for it, repeat the whole thing two times.

Water Races: This workout, created by George, requires a floatable ball or other toy. Start out simple: Throw the ball as far as you can out into the water and race your dog to see who can get to it faster. The first time, do freestyle. When you get to the ball (or to your dog if it beat you there), rest for 20 seconds. Repeat three more times, each time doing a different stroke (backstroke, then butterfly, then breast stroke). Do entire round (all four strokes) a total of three times.

Cardio Workout

You don’t need to just go for a jog with your dog to get both of your heart rates up. Try this routine instead.

Suicide Sprints: “Many dogs are inherently competitive, which is why this workout works so well,” says Jordan. Head to a field or track and pick a starting point and five finish lines at different distances, like five, 10, 15, 20, and 25 feet away. Line up with your dog at the start and sprint to the first finish line five feet away, then pivot and sprint back to the start. Repeat going all the way to the 10-yard line, then on and on until you are sprinting to the 25-yard finish line and back. Repeat the entire series eight times, resting a minute between each round.

Stair Climb: “It doesn’t take climbing very many stairs to realize how that simple move boosts cardiovascular endurance, strengthens legs, and burns calories,” says Jordan. Find a set of stairs — they can be outside or inside — that has at least 20 steps in a row and head up them at a quick, steady pace with your dog right next to you. If you need more of a challenge, take the stairs two at a time. Return to the bottom of the stairs, rest for 20 seconds, then head right up again. Repeat five times.

Box Jumps: They are a staple of Crossfit, and with this tweak from Kordecki, box jumps can be fun for you and your dog. Find a park or path that has benches along one side. Take off running and when you reach each bench, pause in front of it and jump up onto it with both feet at the same time. Get your dog to follow suit, jump off the bench, and repeat at each one. Aim for a total of 20 jumps (you might need to circle back and repeat if there aren’t 20 benches in the park).

HIIT Workout

Quick bursts of movements will wear you and your dog out fast.

Dog Handball: “Grab a tennis ball and head outside until you find a big cement wall with lots of space around it,” says George. “Throw the ball against the wall and sprint after it to see who can reach it first — your or your dog.” Once you get the ball back, walk back to the start and repeat again, this time throwing the ball at a different angle so you have to sprint off in a different direction to get it. Repeat this series of sprinting to get the ball and walking back to the start 10 times, going all out for the sprints.

Fit Field Frisbee: Grab a Frisbee and head to a field with your dog to try this move by Lucas James, a personal trainer based in Arizona. Throw the Frisbee as far as you can and, while your dog runs to retrieve it, do as many reps of push-ups as you can. As soon as your dog returns, stop doing the push-ups and throw the Frisbee again. This time perform as many jumping jacks as you can before your dog comes back to you. Repeat this sequence (throwing the Frisbee and doing as many reps of a move as possible) with high knees, lunges, mountain climbers, burpees, and air squats. Rest for a minute, then repeat entire series once.